Brent Todd, Ward 1 Concord City Council Candidate

Brent Todd

Age (as of Election Day)

57

Position Sought

City Councilor, Ward 1

Party Affiliation

Family

I’m married to my wife Althea (for almost 30 years) and we have two sons, Clark and Glen.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

BA college degree.

Occupation

Risk analyst for Electric Insurance, subsidiary of General Electric Co., 14 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Ward 1 City Councilor since 2014.

Campaign website

www.brenttoddconcord.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I’d like to keep working on the progress we’ve made. Penacook needs sound, knowledgeable leadership and visionary long-term planning as we continue to grow and prosper.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Housing, business development, and quality-of-life issues, which all go together. I would like to see through the completion of the development at Exit 17/Whitney Rd, which will lead to tax relief, closer access to shopping for residents, and job creation. I want to continue to focus on quality-of-life issues such as road improvements, police patrols, revitalization of our parks, and our branch library. We will need to form new contracts for our cable broadband service provider and waste disposal contractor that will provide value and good service to residents. Lastly, I would like to move forward with a study of the future Whitney Road extension, which would connect the Concord Monitor property to Rte 4. The owner of the Concord Monitor (Newspapers of New England) has 100 acres and their building for sale. Careful continued planning of future development of this corridor will go even further toward helping our taxes, providing needed services, complementing our existing Village St. and 30 Pines areas, and potentially providing more housing options.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have over 20 years of volunteer work and proven effective leadership in the community, including:

Concord City Councilor for Ward 1, 2014 to present: Re-elected three times.

Current Council representative to the Conservation Commission and the Transportation Policy Advisory Committee, and member of the Parking Committee.

Penacook Community Center (PCC) Board member, 2016 – 2018: Working with the PCC to help provide quality multi-generational programs to the public.

Penacook Village Association (PVA), founding member and Board member, 2008-present: I've worked with the PVA to bring community forum discussions to Penacook, bring a farmer's market to Penacook, revive festivals, present concerts, and liaison with the City during revitalization and reconstruction efforts.

Transportation Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC), Council appointed Penacook representative, 2008 – present // TPAC Public Transportation Subcommittee, member 2008-present, and former Interim Chair: I've represented Penacook on TPAC to find the best improvements for Village travel, and focused on improving bus routes and service to Penacook.

Penacook Tax Increment Financing District Advisory Board, City Manager appointed member: Review of the scope and cost of infrastructure improvements within the district, as well as any policies concerning operation and management of the district itself (this includes the former Tannery and RIVCO sites).

Penacook Historical Society (PHS), member: I volunteer for and support the efforts of the PHS to foster appreciation for the history of the village and vicinity of Penacook.

Concord 250, founder and Board President: I founded Concord 250, a non-profit organization, to support and promote the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the City of Concord in 2015 for the benefit of all residents, guests and friends of the City.

Concord 2020, Former Board President: I led Concord 2020, a citizen involvement group supporting a smart growth vision in Concord, NH: a vibrant, livable downtown; neighborhoods served by walkable villages; preservation and access to the natural environment; economic vitality; and transportation that serves the community.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Given the challenges and the constantly-changing landscape created by this pandemic, I think the City has done an excellent job, with the primary goal of ensuring public safety.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I have consistently supported our essential services, such as police, fire, and transportation, and I continue to support our branch library and CAT bus service. I support creation of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail to further add to our existing network of trails, and for the potential benefits it will bring to Penacook. I support the Conservation Commission and Heritage Commission goals for preservation of our natural and historic resources. I support movement toward a comprehensive plan tailored for Concord to help reduce our carbon footprint and to embrace greener energy solutions. I encourage and support a diverse and inclusive community.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

By partnering with my fellow Councilors, City Staff, the community, property owners and others we've been able to achieve the following:

Supermarket in Penacook: Great progress has been made on the Exit 17/Whitney Road shops, including the Market Basket supermarket. The plan is for it to open next year, along with the NH Liquor Store. Other shops will follow, providing convenient access to necessities for residents. This has been a dream of folks in Penacook for decades, and I’m very glad to have been able to help make it come true. Along with the shopping amenities will be the road improvements at the intersection of Whitney Rd and Route 4, which will make the area safer and easier to travel.

$20,000,000 worth of municipal and special projects in Penacook: Since I’ve been elected, the City has invested $20,000,000 toward municipal and special projects in Penacook, including the repaving of many streets. We can expect reclamation, drainage and paving work to occur next year on the following streets: Barnett, Bonney, Brodeur, Bye, Canal (from Village St. to Community Dr.), Dolphin, Hardy Ave, Lawrence, Lilac, MacCoy, Merrimack, Shaw, Stark, Steeple View, Summer, Sweatt, Tanner, Webster Pl (Elm St. to town line), and Winter. There may be opportunities to add additional amenities to these areas, such as sidewalk improvements, or traffic calming measures.

More housing options to spur on additional economic development: Redevelopment of the blighted Tannery site and new housing on Village Street will lead to more customers for our existing local businesses, and more foot traffic will lead to filling of our vacant storefronts. I’m very glad to have supported our new affordable and market rate housing options in Penacook to help ease the housing burden. It’s heartbreaking to hear how our neighbors are being evicted, with no affordable options available to them.
The recent census data has proved interesting. Penacook has added the most population of any community in the city. Wards 1, 2, and 3 have all increased in population, while other areas of the city have declined in numbers of residents. I think we will continue to see great interest in Penacook, and we need to keep pace with the housing needs related to this. Merrimack County’s vacancy rate is about .5%, and rents have increased almost 20% over the last five years, up to a median rent of $1,450 a month for two-bedroom apartments in Concord. With low inventory on homes, and high demand, prices have skyrocketed, so housing needs to remain in focus.

Hiring new police officers: We will continue to carefully examine best practices as to law enforcement, but I’ve heard from many residents about the need for additional officers on patrol. I look forward to focusing on this in next year’s budget if I’m re-elected. Progress has been made in hiring new officers for positions previously vacant.

Our parks: I was very glad to assist with the revitalization of Riverside Park. There’s more to do but we are fortunate to have volunteers willing to help. City Council has added money in this year’s budget toward Riverside, and also for design of a new riverfront park at Penacook Landing.

Our businesses: We continue to have a strong business rental market in Penacook, with the Beede Building and former RIVCO buildings attracting new tenants. Our local shops have survived the weakened economy forced by the pandemic. With an increase in population, I see more potential for growth in our core business areas in the coming years.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Honesty and hard work always lead to the best results.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I work for you. Please contact me if you have any questions, issues, or suggestions and I will do my best.